About

The First Days Project shares stories of immigrants and refugees first experiences in the United States.

We launched the First Days Project in 2013 because we realized that stories of immigrants’ first experiences in the United States were not systematically being collected, preserved, and shared with others.

Regardless of whether their first day in the country was five, twenty, or forty (or even more) years ago, it is a day that most immigrants remember very vividly. After all, the first day in a new country is so much more than just one day. A first day can be full of excitement, nervousness, loss, humor, sadness, adventure, confusion, and a mixture of many other emotions. A first day both encapsulates what came before and anticipates what will come after.

Our hope is that the diversity of stories represented in the First Days Project will reflect the diversity of the American immigrant experience.